In today’s UK legal landscape, the push for diversity in hiring is not just a progressive shift; it’s a crucial evolution for the future of law firms. Many firms are recognising that a diverse workforce enhances creativity, drives innovation, and offers commercial benefits. As clients increasingly demand more inclusive legal teams, firms must adapt their recruitment strategies to move away from the traditional models that have historically dominated the industry. This shift is supported by research from McKinsey & Company, which suggests that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity are more likely to outperform on profitability (McKinsey & Company, 2020). However, despite progress, there remains a significant journey ahead to create a truly diverse legal sector.
According to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), Ethnic minorities are still underrepresented in legal professions. However, a steady increase in the proportion of Black, Asian and minority ethnic lawyers in law firms (from 14% in 2015 to 19% in 2023) has been observed. Meanwhile, the proportion of women in law firms has risen from 48% in 2015 to 53% in 2023 (Solicitors Regulation Authority, 2023). The SRA data also indicates that Firm size highlights significant differences in diversity for the largest law firms (with 50+ partners) compared to the smallest (with one partner) with larger firms not doing as well on diversity in relation to gender, ethnicity or socio-economic background. This illustrates the real challenges for these large firms in making progress toward diversity.
However, a marketing agency report from 2022 states that law firms are trailblazing ahead of other professional services organisations with DEI initiatives, with 86% having run them within the past six months, compared to 73% of accountancy firms, 59% of consultancies and only 45% of architects (iResearch Services, 2022).
Many sizeable firms have begun to implement specific initiatives aimed at increasing diversity. Clifford Chance has created and joined various diversity initiatives, including the Recruitment Agency Race Fairness Commitment, emphasising the firm’s commitment to equality and inclusion (Clifford Chance, 2024). Meanwhile, Allen & Overy Shearman has established partnerships with organisations that support underrepresented groups, ensuring that their talent pipeline is both broad and inclusive. They have also achieved Mansfield Certification Plus status in the UK and US, demonstrating a real commitment to increasing diversity (Allen & Overy Shearman, 2024).
Similarly, Linklaters has set ambitious targets for increasing the representation of women and ethnic minorities in leadership roles. They have been recognised as a Leader in Diversity by the Financial Times for the third year running for demonstrating leadership in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace (Linklaters, 2024).
Many firms are committing to making changes to their recruitment processes, such as revising job descriptions to use inclusive language that appeals to a broader audience, avoiding jargon and biased terms that may deter underrepresented candidates. Others are implementing anonymised CV applications to evaluate candidates solely based on their skills and experience, which helps reduce bias related to backgrounds. Many firms are trying to create more diverse interview panels (with candidates meeting a greater number of internal stakeholders while in process) to incorporate various perspectives during the selection process, fostering a more inclusive environment.
Other firms are partnering with diverse recruitment agency businesses, attending job fairs aimed at underrepresented groups, and utilising platforms that focus on diverse talent. They are actively reaching out to schools and universities with diverse student populations to encourage applications from underrepresented groups while providing information about career opportunities and internships.
To further bolster diversity in hiring, many law firms already partner with recruitment diversity companies like Rare Recruitment, whose Contextual Recruitment System focuses on reviewing candidate applications in a socio-economic context, allowing firms to assess potential without bias. This system has been instrumental for firms committed to increasing diversity at the graduate level, ensuring that talent from diverse backgrounds has equal opportunity to shine.
While these initiatives signal a positive shift towards diversity in the legal profession, the journey is still ongoing.
